


Parenthood

by 4ddddani



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Babysitters, Domestic, Fluff, M/M, Romantic Comedy, parenting AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-17 14:13:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9328373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4ddddani/pseuds/4ddddani
Summary: After quickly realizing how over-his-head he is as a single father, Myungsoo is desperate for help. And he may have found the help he needed for both himself and his infant son in his fascinating and gorgeous babysitter.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am back with another Myungyeol, born out of my drowning in feels for TattooYeol on Twittter and then having a dream image of a Tattooed Sungyeol napping on the couch with a baby on his shoulder (yes, my brain can be weirdly vivid at times).
> 
> This is NOT a Mpreg story either--Myungsoo's fatherhood status is just that of a single father (and no mommy-drama is involved, I promise).
> 
> Myungyeol + baby means this is going to be the cutest little thing and I can't wait to write it all.
> 
> First started on AFF on 13 May 2016.

The ding of the elevator sent a rush of people from behind its doors into the pediatrics unit with doctors, nurses, and worried families all pouring from them. As the crowd dispersed, a young, raven-haired man stepped out, one arm holding a sleeping baby to his chest, the other shoulder carrying a large diaper bag, and his hand holding a detached carrier seat. The young man’s green scrubs matched the nurses surrounding the floor, denoting his role. 

 

He stopped at the nurse’s stations briefly, nodding to one of the sitting nurses, who returned his slight smile in return. Continuing down the corridor, he walked to the end to see the windows showcasing the nursery area. As the man stopped to glance at the other children, both newborns and other young babies, the little one in his arms groaned slightly and began wiggling in his hold. Readjusting the baby on his hip, the young man glanced at the groggy eyes staring up at him. “Are you awake now, Mookyul-ie?”

 

The dark-haired little one made a few small coos before turning his nose back into the young man’s neck. With a smile, the man made his way to the entrance of the nursery and worked his way inside. “Mijoo-yah!” 

 

One of the nursery attendants turned towards the entrance, her wide smile and long hair whipping behind her at her movements. “Myungsoo-yah! Is that little Mookyul-ie?” she asked, a wide smile on display. Coming closer to the two, she kneeled slightly to meet the still-groggy baby’s eyes. “Aw, is someone still sleepy?”

 

The young man, Myungsoo hummed in content. “Of course, he is. He decided that we were only going to sleep in three hour intervals last night. Meaning I only got maybe three total hours. Of course, he got a nice nap in the car over here.”

 

“Awww, Mookyul-ie,” Mijoo cooed, reaching out to take the baby from Myungsoo’s arms. “Someone decided Appa didn’t need much sleep, huh?”

 

“Well, now Appa’s not sure how he’s going to last through the next 12 hours,” Myungsoo replied, as Mijoo took the baby over to an empty crib, the man tailing behind. As she laid the baby into an empty crib, Myungsoo rummaged through the diaper bag at his side, pulling out a stuffed monkey. He could hear Mookyul moving around in the crib, starting to fuss at the unfamiliar environment. “Hey, it’s ok, Mookyul-ie; look who’s here for you!” 

 

The baby moved from fussing to happy coos and giggles as Myungsoo shook and rubbed the stuffed animal all around him. The little one reached up, grabbing hold of the monkey’s ear and proceeded to then yank it from Myungsoo’s grasp. At the baby’s happy cries, Myungsoo continued to smile widely, watching the baby’s eyes moving around the crib as he sucked onto the stuffed monkey’s ear. 

 

“Myungsoo?”

 

The young man broke out from his trance and glanced over at Mijoo next to him. “Thanks for taking care of him. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

 

“Right,” Mijoo said, one hand nervously running through her long hair. “Myungsoo, I need to talk to you about something. Look, Sujeong-unni knows your situation--I mean, the whole department knows about you and Mookyul-ie--so, she was being very accommodating while you got your bearings for this whole thing. But, with how busy the NICU and the department’s been lately, she wants us to make sure we keep the cribs open if we need them. I tried talking to her, but--”

 

“Wait,” Myungsoo replied, looking up at his friend with wide eyes. “Are you saying that I can’t keep Mookyul here during shift? But she knows I don’t have anyone to help me--”

 

“And I told her that!” Mijoo exclaimed. “She said she won’t kick you out with nowhere to go today. But, you do need to find a daycare for Mookyul by next week…”

 

Myungsoo sighed. “But with my schedule and some of them are booked up for  years  in advance though--”

 

“She did give me a list,” the younger girl replied. “Some of the best daycares for healthcare workers, so they understand our hours.” She handed a small folder to the young man. “Myungsoo, I’m really sorry; I tried to let her keep Mookyul here because we understand what you did--”

 

“No, I get it too, Mijoo,” the man replied. “You can’t play favorites just because I work here. I know all of you were helping me out since this became official.”

 

“For what it’s worth, I think you really are doing an amazing job,” the girl said. 

 

Myungsoo chuckled. “Tell that to my eye bags and the four coffees I’m going to need just to get through this shift.” Glancing back to the crib once more, the young man watched as the baby had ceased chewing on his stuffed toy, instead holding it close as he appeared to drift back to sleep. “I’ll do what I have to then, I guess.” 

 

Leaning down, Myungsoo kissed the baby on his head before turning back to Mijoo. “Ok, give me the folder and I guess I should get this shift started.”

 

~*~  

 

Myungsoo thought he had his life pretty well planned out. Since he was young, his parents had pushed him towards an interest in science and medicine in particular. The boy’s quick study and top acumen for remembering facts and figures, as well as ease with complex mathematics and science in school made the path seem like one of no ill accord to Myungsoo. And, it didn’t hurt that Myungsoo was the only son of the Kim family, a name which gave him great standing when it came to university applications and testing. 

 

However, despite his more privileged upbringing, Myungsoo found himself quite lonely. The boy was studious of course, but also quet, shy, and awkward when it came to making friends. It didn’t help that the young boy was left mostly to his own devices at home, causing him to not only retreat inward to entertain himself, but to also remain reserved around others around him. Even as the young boy grew up, his sharp features becoming more prominent and more enticing to his peers, Myungsoo remained more of a studious introvert over anything else in school. 

 

He began his medical studies with classmates all talking about desires to be top surgeons, pioneering medical procedures, and attaining top status in some of the top hospitals throughout Korea. Yet, as Myungsoo’s medical cohort began actually working shifts and rotations at the hospital, the young man found himself drawn to asking more his questions to the nurses around them, more so than the doctors his group was assigned to. At the conclusion of his first two years, the young man moved to divert his studies from an MD to looking into nursing instead. 

 

While Myungsoo’s parents may not have been pleased with his sudden trajectory shift--not that the young man cared, considering he knew his parents only looked to him as a status symbol--they moved to more reluctant acceptance as Myungsoo earned a position in one of the city’s top pediatrics and NICU programs. 

And for the first two years of the young man’s tenure there, Myungsoo quickly saw that this path was the perfect one for him. While nursing delivered on the same rigorous scheduling and an intense depth of medical knowledge and outcomes, it lacked the high prestige of the doctors and surgeons throughout the ward--yet Myungsoo found himself perfectly content. Even if the hours were grueling and tiring, he found himself connecting with all his patients and finding the joy in being a part of their recoveries or being the shoulder they needed when things took turns for the worse.

 

At 25, Myungsoo had reached a pretty decent spot in his life. He had his own apartment, a career that he loved and felt so rewarded by, and a caring group of friends among his coworkers. All was where it needed to be. 

 

That is, until Myungsoo found himself move from single, young professional to a single father of an infant boy. 

 

~*~

 

It wasn’t one of the worst cases that Myungsoo had seen since he arrived at the hospital, but this one definitely ranked high due to the emotional factors behind it. Myungsoo and the four other pediatric nurses were currently on hour 16 of a demanding 28-hour shift. After having assisted with multiple pre-surgery preparations and a few more demanding pre-teens arguing with him about their casts and their movement restrictions, Myungsoo already felt his emotions fraying for the night. 

 

After letting Dongwoo, his coworker and close friend, know he was running to grab something from the vending machines in the basement, the raven-haired nurse made his way down the winding corridors and down the stairs near the loading docks--all the nurses knew that the best snack were available in those machines. He paid for a couple triangle bimbaps and a hot coffee can and made his way to sit on one of the extra stretchers laid out along the corridor. The lights from the parking lot and the garage door to the dock streamed in through the window to his back. 

 

He quickly made his way through one package and ravenously tore the wrapping to the second, as he took a long gulp of the coffee. Myungsoo could hear all the usual sounds of the traffic above him, with the occasional screech of an ambulance siren in the distance, along with the rush of the late August winds. He could feel the exhaustion of the shift catching up to him, so he leaned against the window’s glass and just listened to the sounds around him. 

 

Suddenly the calming sounds of the wind were interrupted by small sounds--cries?--and Myungsoo sat up suddenly alert, glancing out the window. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, but his ears now picking up the unmistakeable sound of a child crying, the young man jumped from the stretcher to the back door of the loading dock. The cries reverberated from the metal walls of the bay and Myungsoo’s eyes darted around the area. 

 

Finally he spotted a small basket lying almost right under the window he had been leaning against. Breaking into a sprint, the raven-haired man rushed over to the tangle of blankets, now moving under his eyes, and the cries becoming even louder. Myungsoo kneeled down and peeled back the soft blanket to reveal a small baby boy, probably only a few months old, wrapped up warmly in a soft onesie along with the cotton blanket. “Oh my--it’s ok, little guy! It’s ok!” Myungsoo said, picking the infant up carefully in his arms. 

 

The baby continued to cry, but Myungsoo began to softly coo at the baby, rubbing his back gently to soothe the little one. He continued patting the baby boy in his arms as his eyes searched the basket the boy was placed in. He spotted a folded sheet of paper and quickly unfolded the sheet, another paper flopping to the ground. 

 

My son, I’m sorry. I carried you with me all those months, even though I wasn’t sure I could make it. Even when you were born, as happy as I was to see you healthy, I still didn’t know how I could take care of you. 

 

To whoever finds this beautiful boy, please care for him and love him in the ways that I never could. 

 

Myungsoo stared at the note in his head in shock, the baby in his arms mostly quieted down from his crying. The young man grabbed the other sheet of paper from the ground, noting it to be a birth certificate, with a blank area left for the father’s name and permanent marker scratching through the type where the mother’s name should have been. The only pieces of information easily seen were the baby’s birthdate and first name:  Mookyul . 

 

The baby in his arms continued to make a little fuss, even though he had calmed down from crying. Myungsoo glanced at the boy in his arms. “Oh, Mookyul-ie...You’re safe now. I promise.” 

 

“Myungsoo! Where are you?” Dongwoo’s voice rang out through the basement corridor. 

 

Myungsoo stood up, keeping the baby close to him. “In the loading dock!”

 

The silver-haired nurse wandered out through the back door, with a huff. “There you are! Supervisor Min’s getting ready to start her rounds again and you’re--is that a baby?! Where did you get--”

 

“I found him,” Myungsoo replied, pointing to the basket still on the ground. “He was abandoned here.” 

 

Dongwoo took the two pieces of paper from Myungsoo’s hands and read through them. “My God…” he muttered. “We have to report this, Myungsoo. Let’s go!” 

 

~*~

 

The next month found Myungsoo glued to the NICU ward--and not just for his own shifts. Once he and Dongwoo reported the baby’s finding, he was immediately taken in to be checked out. Myungsoo had to recount the events of his night finding the little one so many times, he could recite it in his sleep--from telling his supervisor, the head of the nursing department, hospital administration, child care services advocates, and police--but he also found himself drawn to the infant. 

 

Only found to be slightly underweight, but still suffering from some enteritis and colic, the baby needed to stay in the NICU while the authorities tried to find some solution to the problem. Myungsoo found himself visiting Mookyul whenever he could, rocking the baby to soothe him as needed, as was his training, but also finding himself caring more about the baby than was probably advised professionally. Even if it did go against their professional courtesy, even the head nurses couldn’t deny that the infant seemed to have bonded with the young man and when Myungsoo was in the ward, the baby seemed in much better spirits. 

 

Myungsoo had heard the supervising nurses speaking with the social services advocates in the lounge quite a few times. He knew that Mookyul’s mother had been officially located, but she remained steadfast--she admitted to abandoning the baby and signed away all parental rights, leaving the baby now without any known family. 

 

The day Myungsoo heard that news, he immediately left the lounge and stayed in the NICU ward all night, rocking Mookyul softly on his shoulder--the young man knew how loneliness could affect someone as a child, seeing it both in his work and throughout his own childhood. He wanted to do everything he could to protect Mookyul while he could. 

 

~*~

 

After a month-long stay in the NICU, Myungsoo came into the unit during his rounds to find Mookyul’s child services advocate and the nurses around his bed. The young man noticed them all glancing towards him as he entered the room. “Myungsoo-ah,” the head nurse called to him. “Join us.” 

 

The young man bowed his head in acknowledgement and walked over to the group. “How can I help?” he asked. 

 

“You’ve spent the most time with Mookyul, correct?” the advocate asked. At Myungsoo’s nod, she continued. “We were hoping you could write some specific care instructions for him, since you have spent the most time and seem to understand his habits and temperament.”  

 

Glancing at his supervisor, Myungsoo noted her nod of agreement. “Yes, i can do that. May I ask what for?” 

 

“Mookyul’s adoption,” the advocate said. “We are preparing his file to put him in the adoption system and want to have good instructions and notes for any family possibly interested in adopting him.”

 

“Preparations?” Myungsoo asked. “But where is he going to stay until an adoption is finalized?”

 

“One of our group homes,” the advocate replied. “Just until his adoption goes through.”

 

Myungsoo felt like his heart dropped in his chest. “And how long would that take?”

 

“It depends,” she said, nonchalantly. “For most children, it can take anywhere from six months to a year to prepare the files and finish the screenings for an adoptive home--” 

 

“And he’s just supposed to be  alone  that whole time?” the young man exclaimed. 

 

“Myungsoo-shi--” the head nurse said, noting the young man’s irritation. 

 

“He won’t be alone,” the advocate said. “There are plenty of caretakers and children as well--”

 

“But will they take the kind of individualized care that he needs?” Myungsoo exclaimed. 

 

The advocate looked startled at the emotional man in front of her. “The caregivers will do what they can, of course. Your instructions will be invaluable--” 

 

“Meanwhile, he will be just one of many children there,” he replied sharply. 

 

“I understand it may not be ideal,” the advocate said. “But unless there is someone who is willing to adopt him immediately, we have to follow this protocol--”

 

“I’ll adopt him,” Myungsoo affirmed. 

 

“Myungsoo-ah!” his supervisor started.

 

The advocate looked shell-shocked. “Kim Myungsoo, you understand what you are agreeing to right now, correct?”

 

“I do,” the young man said. “I understand it sounds crazy, but Mookyul needs someone who understands what he needs. And I think I can be that person for him.” 

 

Glancing at the other nurses in the room, the advocate noticed their understanding expressions. “Well, Kim Myungsoo, we have a lot of paperwork we need to go through. Character evaluations, background checks, personal inspections--” 

 

“All of which the hospital has already done for my work here,” Myungsoo said. “Whatever you need from me or from them, I’ll provide it. Let me provide for Mookyul too.” 

  
The advocate nodded her head, finally reaching her resolution. “Very well then. I’ll get everything filed. But for all intents and purposes--Congratulations, Kim Myungsoo. You are now a father.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who...? :D

“We’re so sorry for the inconvenience, Kim-Ganhosa. But we just don’t have the space nor could we accommodate your schedule,” the admissions counselor said in a faux-sympathetic tone. 

 

“Is there really nothing you can do?” Myungsoo asked, trying to tamper down the desperation he was feeling. “I know my schedule is tough, but if I can get Mookyul enrolled here, I can work with my supervisor--”

 

“Unfortunately, we are just at capacity. Even if I wanted to, we couldn’t find any space for Mookyul here. I truly am sorry.”

 

Myungsoo let out an unsteady breath, rising with the admissions counselor to be escorted from the facility. Mookyul continued to sleep in his harness at Myungsoo’s front thankfully, as Myungsoo made the last few awkward greetings before leaving the daycare. Glancing around the street, he noted the entrance to a neighborhood park and made his way inside. Wrapping his arms tighter around his son, Myungsoo protected the six month old from the chill in the late September air and the growing winds moving through the greenery in the park. 

 

Spotting an open bench, Myungsoo took the opportunity to sit down, pulling his phone from his pocket and entering the passcode. He opened his notes application and begrudgingly typed another ‘X’ next to the list of daycares he had saved. Groaning audibly, the male could only stare at the list with all options crossed off. “I don’t know what Appa’s going to do, Mookyul,” he breathed. 

 

The infant began to fuss, presumably at the lack of changing scenery. Myungsoo held Mookyul close, sliding the straps of the harness off his shoulders and pulling Mookyul from the carrier. “What’s the matter, baby? Appa’s here. Appa’s got you,” the raven-haired male cooed, laying Mookyul’s head on his shoulder and rocking the baby softly. 

 

Mookyul continued his low fussing, gripping tightly onto the fabric of his father’s coat. “OK, OK, do you want to keep moving? That’s fine; let Appa get up and you can see the park. You can see the view--” Mookyul continued to cry out, progressively getting more audible in his cries. Myungsoo turned the baby around to see his face. “What’s the matter, baby? Appa’s here, he’s got you--are you hungry? Here, Appa will feed you…”

 

Holding Mookyul close to him once more, Myungsoo pulled a bottle from the bag still sitting on the bench. He poured the prepared water into the bottle already filled with formula and started to shake it as Mookyul continued to cry. “Just a second, baby. Hang on just a little longer, Mookyul--Appa’s almost got your bottle ready--”

 

Mookyul’s cries finally got louder, the infant obviously unhappy with his current situation. “What? What, what, what?” Myungsoo exclaimed, futilely attempting to rock the baby. “I know you don’t need changing; we did that before we visited the last place. Mookyul, just take the bottle, baby, please--” The male proceeded to try feeding the bottle’s tip to the baby, but the little one showed no interest and continued to cry out. “Mookyul! What do you need? Just take the bottle, Mookyul, please, take the bottle--”

 

“I’m sorry, sir, but do you need any help?”

 

Myungsoo glanced up, blinking away his tears of frustration to meet the wide eyes of a tall man. For a moment, Myungsoo lost himself in those expressive eyes, forgetting everything around him, including his crying son. Mookyul released a shrill scream, snapping Myungsoo from his trance. “Um, I don’t--I just don’t know what he could need--he was fine earlier--”

 

“May I?” the man asked, holding his two arms out to indicate him taking the baby from Myungsoo’s own. 

 

Crazy as it may seem, Myungsoo could tell that the man had no ill intentions in the situation. Wordlessly, he handed Mookyul over to the man, the baby continuing to wail as the tall man rested the baby on his own shoulder. “Oh, little baby, what’s the matter?” the man cooed softly, rubbing his free hand along Mookyul’s back. The baby continued to cry, yet his screaming stopped. “What’s his name?” the man asked Myungsoo. 

 

Myungsoo stuttered for a moment. “M--Mookyul.”

 

The tall man smiled, his wide gummy smile making Myungsoo’s heart flutter. “Ah, Mookyul-ie~ Mookyul-ie… let’s stop fussing, baby. Appa looks upset, you are upset; let’s just stop crying now, yes?” The man proceeded to walk in tight circles around Myungsoo’s frozen self on the bench, the young father keeping a close eye on the male just in case. Not that it seemed to matter much--the tall man seemed to simply be a good samaritan, good enough with kids to help calm the little one down (and allow Myungsoo to as well). 

 

Myungsoo watched absolutely as the man moved, unable to take his eyes off of him. The man stood taller than Myungsoo himself, with slim legs showing beneath the man’s unbuttoned navy peacoat. The dark wash jeans and cream sweater underneath contrasted perfectly with the man’s complexion. His hair was a dark brown, falling in soft waves just below his ears. Myungsoo could also see a mole near his nose and another dotted along his neck. With the man’s bright brown eyes, plump lips, and prominent cheeks, Myungsoo couldn’t take his eyes off the newcomer--he was just that handsome.

 

The man continued moving in the circles, occasionally swaying his hips to provide Mookyul with even more movement. Soon enough, the baby stopped his cries and just began to watch the scenery change with every step, seemingly at ease with the new person holding him. The man finally stopped after one more circle, tipping Mookyul’s face slightly to meet his eyes. “There we go, little baby. Does Mookyul-ie feel better now? See, all that fussing for nothing. We need to be a good little boy for Appa now, don’t we?” the man said, facing the infant. He then glanced over, meeting Myungsoo’s gaze once more. “Sorry, I know this is totally random, but you looked like you could use a hand.” 

 

Myungsoo started under the newfound attention. “Oh! Uh, no--it’s not a problem at all. Th-thank you actually.”

 

The man smiled--and Myungsoo’s heart fluttered again. “I’m glad I could help,” he replied, glancing at the space on the bench near Myungsoo. “May I?” 

 

“O-Of course!” the young father stuttered, moving Mookyul’s diaper bag to his feet. “Please!”

 

“Thanks!” The man said, taking a seat. He continued to rock Mookyul before glancing back at Myungsoo. “Ah, my name’s Sungyeol, by the way. Lee Sungyeol.” 

 

Myungsoo bowed his head briefly. “Kim Myungsoo. And you already met Mookyul here.” 

 

The man, Sungyeol, continued to smile as he glanced at the infant. “He’s such a sweet boy. How old is he?”

 

“Six months,” Myungsoo replied. 

 

“He’s so well-behaved!”

 

“At times,” Myungsoo said. “Then there are days like today where I don’t know how I will ever be able to do this parenting-thing.”

 

“You seem to have done a good job in the last six months from what I can see,” Sungyeol replied. 

 

“Just one actually,” Myungsoo said. Sungyeol’s smile morphed to confusion and Myungsoo cleared his throat. “I adopted him. He’s not my biological son.” 

 

“ Oh! ” Sungyeol exclaimed softly, glancing back at Mookyul, who was still watching the birds behind them. “Even still. Adoption’s even more intense.”

 

“Especially when I’m doing it alone,” Myungsoo grumbled. 

 

Sungyeol gasped. “You have no help?” 

 

“Well, I  did ,” Myungsoo said. “I work at Seoul Hospital in Pediatrics, so I used to be able to bring him to the nursery while I was on-call. But the nursery head said I needed to find another option because they need the beds and it could be seen as preferential treatment.” 

 

“That’s rough,” Sungyeol replied. 

 

“Yeah,” Myungsoo sighed. “We’ve gone to literally every daycare in the surrounding districts to try and find one that could enroll him. But either no one has room or they can’t work with my hours and I just don’t know what to do…” 

 

Sungyeol reached out his free hand to touch the young father’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Myungsoo-shi; that must be hard.” 

 

Myungsoo glanced at the hand on his shoulder, ignoring how his neck was starting to heat up. “You can drop the ‘shi’. I doubt I’m that much older than you... “ Sungyeol let out a laugh and Myungsoo sighed. “I’m sorry; I just let out my whole life story on you. I should just be thanking you for coming by when you did. I think I was about to cry just as hard as Mookyul--”

 

Sungyeol let out another laugh, this one a little louder, and Myungsoo’s insides melted. “I mean, no big deal. It seems like we’re both having crappy times right now. At least you have this cutie to comfort you.” The tall man tickled Mookyul’s belly, getting a few small giggles from the infant. 

 

Myungsoo smiled, watching his son interact with the tall man. “You don’t look like someone having a hard time,” the young father said. 

 

Sungyeol scoffed, keeping his gaze on the baby in his arms. “Just because someone smiles, that doesn’t mean they’re struggling too,” he replied. Noting Myungsoo’s intense gaze, Sungyeol finally glanced up at the other man. “Oh right, this is my turn to tell my life story.” 

 

Myungsoo couldn’t help but laugh. “Humor me.” 

 

“I guess I owe you that much,” the taller said. “Well, I’m still a student, so that’s fantastic and wonderful--”

 

“How old are you exactly?” Myungsoo couldn’t help but ask. 

 

“26,” Sungyeol said. “I did my service right after high school and started university then. I started out as a criminology studies major, thinking I could do police work or something, but...things changed, and I realized that I liked being around kids more. So I switched my major last minute to elementary education, which got me a couple semesters behind.”

 

“No wonder you’re so good with kids,” Myungsoo mused. 

 

Sungyeol smiled, moving Mookyul from his shoulder to sit in his lap. “My mom had my little brother late in life, so I took care of him a lot when I was a teenager. He was a really happy baby though, just like Mookyul here.” At that, Sungyeol raised the baby up over his head, causing excited squeals to come from his tiny self. 

 

Myungsoo’s heart fluttered once more-- Sungyeol seemed to have that effect on him . “So, you just have a year or so left?” he asked. 

 

“Kind of,” Sungyeol replied, pulling Mookyul back down to his shoulder. “Technically, I’m done with all my classes and requirements. Most of our certification tests are in the spring. But we all need to have some sort of field work, meaning we have to get hired to work at a school, or a daycare in my case, since I’m specializing in early elementary.” 

 

“So you’re job-hunting?” 

 

“Yeah, and it effing sucks, let me tell you,” Sungyeol sighed, lifting Mookyul up in the air once more. 

 

“But you seem like you would be the ideal teacher?” Myungsoo said. 

 

Sungyeol groaned. “Yeah, I don’t know what it is: the fact that I’m male, maybe I don’t look  polished  enough, or that I’m an older student… But no one will hire me, even just to let me finish my degree requirement, which is just killing me.” 

 

“That’s intense,” Myungsoo said. “If you want, I can give you the list of places I’ve been visiting for Mookyul. If anything, it’ll give you more places to apply to.” 

 

“You’d do that?” Sungyeol said, glancing over to Myungsoo, Mookyul lifted above his head once again. 

 

“Sure; think of it as my thanks for helping Mookyul and I today.”

 

Sungyeol pulled Mookyul down, curling the baby back on his shoulder. “Yeah, that’d be great. I don’t know, maybe we can arrange a time to meet later on or-- Uh oh…”

 

Myungsoo looked over, seeing Sungyeol glancing over to Mookyul and a wet white blob now covering both Sungyeol’s coat and onto his sweater underneath. “Oh my--I am so sorry, Sungyeol…”

 

“It’s fine; I probably shouldn’t have lifted him so much,” Sungyeol said, handing the infant back over to his father. “Ugh, I guess I’ll just get some funny looks on the trains today…” 

 

“Trains?”

 

“I live a long way from here; two train changes. Just another great day for me lately,” Sungyeol groaned.

 

“That far?” Myungsoo exclaimed. “No, no way. My place is just a few blocks away; let me give you a shirt. At least to get you home in.”

 

“That’s really not necessary--” 

 

“No, really!” Myungsoo insisted. “First you help me calm him down, and now you have baby vomit all over your shoulder. This is the least I can do. Plus I have the copy of the daycare list from the hospital; I can give it to you there.”

 

“Are you sure this isn’t a hassle?” Sungyeol asked. 

 

“Please, I feel like I’ve been the biggest headache to  you all this time. Just come by and let me do this one thing.”

 

Sungyeol glanced over at the young father, a small smile forming. “OK, sounds fair.” 

 

~*~

 

Unlocking the front door, Myungsoo moved inside the apartment, Sungyeol trailing behind him. The taller man glanced around the spacious living room, noting the mobile and blanket laid out between a living room set, even more toys and a travel crib laid out in a large alcove. Sungyeol stayed in the doorway, observing as Myungsoo pulled Mookyul from the harness at his front and placing the baby on the ground, pushing against his mobile above him. 

 

Sungyeol stayed standing in the entryway, unsure of what to do next. Myungsoo, once deeming Mookyul as settled, turned and noticed the tall man. “Come in! Please, make yourself at home.” 

 

The taller only nodded, sliding his shoes off and walking over towards the infant, crouching down to watch the baby play with the many stuffed hanging toys and rings in front of him. Sungyeol only watched with a smile. “Can he turn himself yet?”

 

Myungsoo glanced back at the two from behind the kitchen counter, his heart racing once again at the domestic scene in front of him. “Um, ye-yeah. He can lift himself up too, but he can’t crawl yet. I know it’s coming though.” 

 

“That’ll be when things get interesting for you,” Sungyeol replied, pulling one of the toys into Mookyul’s line of sight and cooing as the little boy grabbed it from his fingers. 

 

“Yeah, for sure,” Myungsoo said, walking towards the two. “Can you watch him for a sec? I can get you that shirt and we can try wiping off your coat.” 

 

“Yeah, sure! Thanks again,” Sungyeol said, glancing up to meet the young father’s eyes. Myungsoo bit his lip out of nervousness, shuffling down the hallway to his bedroom.   

 

Sungyeol stretched his legs out in front of him as he leaned against the couch to continue entertaining Mookyul by pulling the various mobile pieces towards the infant. The baby continued to cry out with joy, elated at the continued attention from the tall man. Sungyeol then began to run his fingers along Mookyul’s sides, causing the baby to start giggling and gradually getting louder and louder. Sungyeol could only smile widely at the joyous sounds coming from the little one with him--he was just so cute!

 

“You really are good with kids.”

 

Sungyeol glanced back at the returning voice, spotting Myungsoo watching him from the corridor entrance, a white t-shirt in hand. “I love kids,” the taller said. “I just need to pass these last few hurdles and I can finally do what I want to.” 

 

“You’ll be great,” Myungsoo replied, kneeling down next to the taller man. “Mookyul doesn’t usually bond quickly with other people, so you obviously know how to do something right.” 

 

Sungyeol turned to meet Myungsoo’s eyes. “Thanks.”

 

The young father could feel his neck heating up at the eye contact with the beautiful stranger. “Yo-You’re welcome. Uh, right… here. That shirt for you.” Myungsoo passed the shirt over to the other. “You can go ahead and change; I’ll try to wipe down your coat too.” 

 

“Awesome,” Sungyeol replied. The man shrugged his shoulders, pulling the navy coat from around him and handed it over to Myungsoo. Glancing over at the other man, Sungyeol found Myungsoo’s eyes glued to him. “So, uh, am I just supposed to change right here? You want to see me shirtless that bad, huh?” the taller teased. 

 

Myungsoo choked, starting to cough and knew his cheeks were flushing. “Wh-what?No-No, I mean… uh, you-you can change in the bathroom. It’s down the hall,” Myungsoo stuttered, running his hand through his hair in embarrassment. 

 

Sungyeol let out a hearty laugh as he stood. “Just kidding with you,” he said. “You need to loosen up a bit, Myungsoo-shi.” The man moved down the hallway, continuing to giggle. 

 

Myungsoo flopped on the ground once the taller was out of sight. He exhaled deeply, trying to calm his beating heart--God, this man was the absolute  ideal type Myungsoo could have ever imagined...and he didn’t know how much more he could handle. 

 

The young father shifted briefly over to Mookyul, checking if the baby needing anything. Deeming the little one as settled, Myungsoo stood up and moved his way into the kitchen, laying Sungyeol’s coat along the edge of the sink. Noting that most of the dried spit-up seemed to be on one shoulder, Myungsoo turned on the faucet and began scrubbing the fabric with a wire brush. 

 

Myungsoo could see Sungyeol return to the living room, his sweater folded over his arms. The taller made his way to the counter, glancing from the other side as Myungsoo continued scrubbing. “Thanks again for all this,” Sungyeol said. 

 

“I really should be thanking you. You showed up at the perfect time,” Myungsoo replied, keeping his eyes focused on the coat in his hands. “I’ve almost got it out here. Oh! These papers here by me? That’s the daycare list I was telling you about.” 

 

“Oh yeah!” the taller said, making his way around the counter to grab the papers. There was a pregnant pause before Sungyeol let out a low sigh. “Damn, I thought this would happen....I’ve already been to most of these places.”

 

“Really? All of them?” Myungsoo asked. 

 

Sungyeol groaned, placing the paper back on the counter between the two men. The taller ran one of his slim fingers across the page. “I went to all five of these just in the last week. And even more over the last month. God, this freaking sucks--”

 

Myungsoo glanced over, about to respond with some encouraging words to the taller, but his breath caught in his throat. With the father’s eyes first going to Sungyeol’s--beautiful--fingers, his eyes were immediately drawn to the intricate patterns of black at the man’s wrist. Myungsoo’s eyes then continued to travel up the taller’s exposed forearm, up his bicep to where the sleeve of the shirt covered the man’s pale skin--skin which was  lined with patterns of black tattoo ink. 

 

Myungsoo just couldn’t stop staring--even catching that the patterns continued to the other man’s arm as well. Sungyeol glanced over, noting how quiet Myungsoo had become. Seeing where the man’s dark eyes were trained, Sungyeol sighed. “Yeah, I know. Yes, they’re real. Yes, they’re on both arms. No, I’m not a gangster--”

 

“No--No! I didn’t think that at all!” Myungsoo exclaimed. “Sorry, I just--I wasn’t expecting it--”

 

“Why? Because I don’t look like some gangster or loan shark?” Sungyeol snorted sarcastically. 

 

“That’s not what I mean…” Myungsoo sighed, turning the sink faucet off. “Yes, it’s unexpected, but I was only staring because they’re amazing. I’ve just never seen something like that.”

 

Sungyeol’s body released some of the tension he had been holding in. “It’d be hard to see something like this,” he replied. “Because my brother drew them all.” 

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, he liked drawing patterns and designs whenever he could,” Sungyeol said. “So when I saved up enough money, I just put all of his patterns together in a way that I could always be reminded of them.”

 

“That’s...sweet,” Myungsoo replied. 

 

“Thanks,” Sungyeol said. “You’re the first person who hasn’t freaked out on me because of them, so I can appreciate that.” Glancing at the list at the counter, the man sighed. “Ugh… all right, guess it’s time to head home and find more daycares to apply for and be rejected from.” The man then moved into the living room once more, Myungsoo tailing behind. 

 

“You said you’ve been applying for over a month?” the father asked.

 

“Yeah,” the taller replied. “It’s just getting so tedious at this point. I can do any type of child care for my degree--a daycare, a school, hell, even a nanny or long-term babysitting job works--but no one will hire me. Whether it’s the fact that I’m male or older or maybe they see a tattoo peeking through the end of my sleeve… I’m just over it at this point.” 

 

Myungsoo leaned against the counter, processing the taller’s words. He watched as Sungyeol leaned down once more, pulling Mookyul to sit up and play with the man’s long fingers. Myungsoo could only smile at the joy radiating both off his own son’s face, as well as the tall stranger. 

 

“What if I were to hire you?”

 

Sungyeol’s face shot up to meet Myungsoo’s gaze. “What?”

 

The young father moved to sit in front of the other man. “What if I hired you to take care of Mookyul?” Sungyeol’s eyes only continued to widen, so Myungsoo seized the opportunity. “We’re both stuck here--I can’t find a place that will take Mookyul during my shifts and you can’t find a daycare to hire you for your certifications. So let’s help each other out!”

 

Sungyeol looked flustered for the first time. “Wait...you’re serious?”

 

“Completely,” Myungsoo replied. “My hours are ridiculous and as much as I’m trying to keep my head up about raising Mookyul and still working the hours I need to, I can’t do this alone. And you’re just so good with him, Sungyeol-shi! I already said that Mookyul hardly takes well to others, but he looks so happy with you around.” 

 

“You actually will hire me? To be Mookyul’s private babysitter?”

 

“I’ll pay you a fair salary, you can stay here during the day, and take Mookyul wherever you want to...If we need to do some sort of reporting for your certifications, I can do that,” the young father listed. “We both need this, Sungyeol-shi. What do you think? Can you help me out?”

 

Sungyeol thought for a moment, then closed his eyes. When he opened them, his expression was relieved. “Sounds like a plan, Myungsoo-shi.” 

  
Mookyul seemed to feel the tension in the air dissipate and let out a happy giggle as both men shook hands. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I hadn't realized how long it's been since I updated this story. I needed some extra cuteness in my life, so enjoy Day 1 of Babysitting duties! (And more flustered Myungsoo--OF COURSE.)

The alarm continued to blare in Myungsoo’s ears as he reached over to finally turn it off. The young father pulled himself upright, rubbed his eyes, and then pulled the baby monitor from his nightstand. Seeing Mookyul still sleeping soundly in his crib, the young father placed the monitor back and moved from the bedroom into his bathroom to begin getting ready. It was early in the morning, the sun barely peaking over the horizon, and Myungsoo began to slowly move throughout the bathroom. 

 

His alarm felt even louder this morning--could have something to do with Mookyul waking him up every three hours for food or a diaper change--and Myungsoo needed to quickly gather his bearings. He had told Sungyeol that he needed to leave for work in the morning by 7:30, so the taller would show up soon enough. He finished brushing his teeth, washed his face, and quickly combed down his dark hair--thankfully his straightening treatment was still holding. He pulled on a pair of dark wash jeans and a cotton long-sleeved shirt before moving into the living room and kitchen. 

 

Myungsoo started the coffeemaker on the counter and shoved a bagel into the toaster for himself. The young father pulled a bottle from the drying rack next to the sink and measured out the right amount of formula, filling it with the right amount of water before sticking the bottle into the microwave. 

 

Glancing down at the baby monitor he brought with him to the kitchen, he could see Mookyul beginning to move more in his crib, the little one’s eyes open slightly. He pulled the fresh bagel from the toaster and placed it under a plate to keep it warm while Myungsoo tended to his son. Myungsoo moved back into the hallway and into Mookyul’s nursery, turning on the lamp right by the door. 

 

Through the crib’s slats, Myungsoo could see Mookyul looking towards the light. The baby finally saw his father walking in and let out a sleepy coo. “Morning, Mookyul-ie,” the father whispered, pulling the infant from his crib. Mookyul held tightly to his stuffed cat--a gift from Mijoo when she noticed how the baby bonded with the toy--and immediately placed his head on his father’s shoulder. “Are you still tired, baby?” Myungsoo asked, rubbing the baby’s back as they moved into the living room once more. “Maybe if you decided to sleep longer than a few hours, Appa and Mookyul-ie wouldn’t be so tired.” 

 

The baby cooed almost as a reply to his father, and Myungsoo could only grin sleepily. Moving back into the kitchen, Myungsoo pulled the warm bottle from the microwave and finally sat down on the couch. The father took a throw pillow and propped it up next to him, setting Mookyul to sit and lay against it. “You ready for breakfast, Mookyul-ie?” he asked the baby, shaking the bottle a few more times in front of the infant. Mookyul smiled and cooed happily, reaching out towards the bottle. Myungsoo brought the tip to his son’s lips and Mookyul latched on hungrily, reaching out with his little hands to hold the bottle himself. 

 

Myungsoo laughed at his son’s eagerness--the little baby was apparently inheriting his father’s love of food and eating--and moved to keep a slight hold on the bottle, letting Mookyul maintain holding much of the weight. The baby continued to drink emphatically and Myungsoo just sat back and watched the little boy. Mookyul continued his meal, stopping at times, Myungsoo leaning over to pat his son’s back. “Someone’s hungry, huh Mookyul-ie…” Myungsoo smiled, patting the baby’s back. 

 

A knock on the door startled Myungsoo from his enchantment with his son. Shifting forward to stand from the couch, he settled Mookyul against the pillow and as far back from the couch’s edge as possible. Keeping the bottle in hand, Myungsoo made his way to the door. 

 

Taking a moment to undo the lock, the young father opened the door to find a half-awake Sungyeol, long copper bangs lying on the taller’s forehead, a black snapback placed on his head, with the same navy peacoat covering jeans and a red sweater. Sungyeol turned to conceal a quick yawn, turning to meet Myungsoo’s gaze. “Morning.” 

 

“Morning,” Myungsoo replied, moving back into the apartment. “Come in.” 

 

Sungyeol followed the father inside, removing his shows at the doorway before noticing Mookyul on the couch. “I thought you said he can’t sit up yet!” the taller exclaimed. 

 

“He’s cheating,” Myungsoo replied, sitting back next to the infant. He tilted the bottle towards Mookyul’s mouth once more and the baby grasped it to finish the formula. “I’ve been having him sit against the throw pillows to practice sitting. He can’t quite do it on his own yet.” 

 

Sungyeol showed a soft smile. “He’s acting like he didn’t eat in the last day.” 

 

Myungsoo let out a quick laugh. “Yeah, he seems to be following my example when it comes to food.”  

 

“Good to know,” Sungyeol said, glancing towards the kitchen. “I smell coffee; please tell me there’s enough for two.” 

 

Myungsoo felt his neck heating again in the taller’s presence. “Um, yeah. Help yourself.” 

 

Sungyeol moved into the kitchen after removing his coat and laying it over the back of the overstuffed chair. Myungsoo watched the taller move towards the coffeemaker, hearing the taller grab one of the mugs he had resting on the counter. “There’s some creamer in the fridge!” he called out, helping Mookyul hold his bottle to finish the last third. 

 

“Oh, no worries; I drink my coffee black,” Sungyeol replied, glancing back into the room. “Hey! Bagels!”

 

Myungsoo started, rising from his perch on the couch, leaving Mookyul to drop his bottle to his lap. “No! That’s mine!” the father exclaimed, moving to grab the plate over the kitchen island. He quickly bit into one half, seeing Sungyeol’s wide-eyed expression at the quick movement. “Sorry, but this may be the only food I get for the next 6 to 8 hours. I don’t share.” 

 

“Oh right; rough doctor life and all,” Sungyeol said, moving around the island and back into the living room, coffee mug in hand. “Also, the doctor dress code seems to have become more casual than I thought…” the taller said, glancing at Myungsoo’s clothes. 

 

Myungsoo felt his cheeks heating once more as he continued chewing his breakfast. He swallowed quickly. “You think I’m a doctor?” he asked. 

 

Sungyeol hummed, taking another sip from his coffee mug. “Aren’t you? You said you work in Pediatrics?”

 

“As a nurse,” Myungsoo asserted. “I’m assigned nursing staff. I change into scrubs as soon I get in.”

 

The taller nodded his head in acknowledgement. “Ah… makes sense.” The two sat in silence, Myungsoo propping Mookyul’s bottle up so the baby could finish and trying to eat his bagel from the other hand. Sungyeol moved from the chair over to the other side of the infant on the couch, placing his mug on the end table. Both father and son turned to look at the taller man and Sungyeol moved his hand underneath Myungsoo’s own on Mookyul’s bottle. “Here, I can take over. You finish your breakfast, Myungsoo,” he said, his gaze focused solely on the baby boy. 

 

Myungsoo thanked the fates that Sungyeol didn’t look over at him--the raven-haired man knew his cheeks were blazing pink--and let the taller take over his son’s breakfast. Shifting his weight on the couch slightly, Myungsoo continued eating his breakfast--marvelling at the fact that he had both hands free for the task--and couldn’t help watching his son and the tall man. 

 

Sungyeol was amazingly attentive for someone who had only met the infant the day before. The man watched Mookyul continue his meal, eyes seeming to sparkle at every move the child made. Mookyul appeared absolutely giddy at the attention--not only was he getting food, but Sungyeol ran his other hand along the baby’s back soothingly. Mookyul let the bottle’s tip drop from his mouth and Sungyeol helped him lower it into his lap. “Had enough, Mookyul-ie?” Sungyeol asked softly. 

 

The taller nudged the bottle back towards the baby to no avail. Sungyeol glanced over at Myungsoo, who had been watching the entire scene play out. “Guess he’s done?” the taller asked. 

 

Myungsoo nodded. “Yeah, that’s usually how he’ll let you know. He can’t quite finish a bottle yet.” 

 

Sungyeol pulled the infant up to his shoulder, hand to his back and beginning to tap lightly. “Ok, so I shouldn’t worry if he can’t finish one later?” The young father just shook his head, standing up to head into the kitchen. “So, what’s his usual daily schedule? I don’t want to mess up any routine you already have with him…”

 

“Schedule?” Myungsoo echoed, glancing back over the counter. “You mean his feeding schedule? It’s just every four hours, like usual.”

 

“OK...” Sungyeol replied, moving towards the island separating the two men, Mookyul still comfortable on his shoulder. “But what about his sleeping schedule? Play time? Bath time? What about those?” 

 

Myungsoo’s eyes remained blank as he faced Sungyeol, his thermos of coffee in-hand. “Umm…”

 

“Wait, you don’t have those all figured out?” Sungyeol asked in surprise. The young father glanced to the counter in embarrassment. “Hey, Myungsoo-shi… it’s not a bad thing. At least now, I can help get those things established for Mookyul.” 

 

“I guess,” Myungsoo sighed. “I think I just realized that I may not have been doing as good at this parenting thing as I thought I was.”

 

“Myungsoo-shi, don’t be so hard on yourself,” Sungyeol asserted, glancing at the young father. “Most parents have months ahead of time to prepare for all this; from what you told me, you didn’t have that. So for what it’s worth, I think you’ve done great so far--it’s just a few things that I can help you with now.”

 

Myungsoo let out a long exhale, calming his anxiety down. “Yeah, that’s true…” 

 

“And, look, I can be here to help you with anything you need,” the taller continued. “I mean it; groceries, cleaning… since I’ll be here with Mookyul anyway, I may as well help with the chores a little.” 

 

“I’m paying you for taking care of Mookyul; I can’t ask you to do more than that--” 

 

“I’m offering,” Sungyeol said firmly. “Besides, it can let Mookyul and I have mini-adventures during the day.” 

 

Myungsoo felt his stomach starting to flutter once more. “Well, if you’re fine with it…I guess, just make yourself at home,” he said softly. Glancing at the clock, he noted it was almost time to leave and jumped from the couch, pacing through the living room as he pulled his jacket on. “Damn it, I need to get going for morning rounds…. Umm, I left my phone number and the hospital line too, if you can’t reach me on that. If I don’t pick up the phone, just text me; sometimes, I can look at that easier than talk…. And, Mookyul’s bottles are there on the counter, the formula’s in the cabinet… everything in his room should be ok for clothes, diapers… crap, is there anything else…”

 

The young father’s ramblings were stopped by a hand to his shoulder. Glancing back, Myungsoo saw Sungyeol behind him, Mookyul turned in his arms to face his father. “Myungsoo-shi,” Sungyeol said soothingly. “We’ll be fine. You just worry about work; I’ve got this.” 

 

“Right, right…” Myungsoo muttered. “Sorry, it’s just this is the first time I’ve really been separated from him since the adoption went through and I’m trying to process it all.”

 

“It’s fine,” Sungyeol replied. “Just don’t forget to say bye to this little one.” 

 

Myungsoo reached out to his son and pulled him into his arms. “OK, Mookyul-ie… Appa’s going to work now!” he cooed to the little one. Mookyul’s eyes continued to stare at his father. “I know; it’s weird not to come with Appa. BUt you get to stay with Sungyeol now. You like Sungyeol-shi, right?” Myungsoo booped his finger against Mookyul’s nose causing the infant to coo with joy. “Of course you do! Appa will be back.” 

 

Myungsoo kissed his son’s head a few more times before letting the taller man take the baby from his arms. Sungyeol situated the baby back on his shoulder as the young father pulled his coat on and turned to leave. 

 

“Bye Appa~”

 

Myungsoo glanced back at the other man, noting Sungyeol’s smirk as he waved Mookyul’s hand towards his father. The nurse left the house with a smile on his face. 

 

~*~

 

Myungsoo finished tying the string on his scrub pants and lifted one leg to the bench to begin tying his sneaker. He could hear the door to the locker room open once again--shift change was upon the hospital staff, so he just began to tune out the noises. 

 

“ _ You  _ beat me in?” a voice called near Myungsoo. 

 

The raven-haired male glanced up, seeing Dongwoo smirking at him, coffee mug in-hand. “What’s so surprising about that?” Myungsoo replied defensively. 

 

“You’re almost always running in here right before shift change starts,” Dongwoo explained, opening the locker next to Myungsoo’s and beginning to change out of his casual clothes and into his matching scrubs. 

 

“Well, I always had to make sure Mookyul was settled in the nursery,” Myungsoo said, switching legs to tie the other shoe.  

 

Dongwoo hummed. “Oh, right! You got him in daycare now, huh?”

 

“Not exactly--”

 

“Omo! Myungsoo-ah!” a feminine voice exclaimed from the locker room entrance. 

 

Both Myungsoo and Dongwoo glanced over to find Mijoo staring at the young father, eyes wide. Myungsoo groaned. “Why is everyone so surprised that I’m here? It’s not like I’m chronically late or something…”

 

Mijoo startled, quickly moving towards her own locker in the adjoining row to the two males. “Wha--no no! That’s not what I meant at all! It’s just… well...”

 

“What?!” Myungsoo said in exasperation. 

 

“Well, you’ve been a little  _ off  _ lately,” Dongwoo said, cocking his head slightly as he pulled his scrub top over his undershirt. “A little later getting on shift, that’s all…”

 

“Um, anyone forget that I just adopted a  _ son _ ?” the dark-haired male replied. 

 

Dongwoo glanced back at the other male in surprise. “No one forgot--”

 

“That’s not what we meant, Myungsoo!” Mijoo exclaimed, slamming her locker shut with a bang, having quickly changed out of her street clothes. “It’s just, with Mookyul and all, you haven’t been as  _ prompt _ as you used to be.”

 

“Well, that’s what I have help for,” the young father replied. 

 

“You got him into daycare?!” Mijoo exclaimed. “I’m so glad you finally found one!”

 

“As I was saying before everyone kept being so damn surprised that I made it here on time,” Myungsoo began. “I didn’t exactly get him into a daycare. In fact, every single on on that list from Sujeong rejected Mookyul for space reasons, scheduling, and whatever else they could think of to get me out the door.” 

 

“Wait, do where is the baby right now?” Dongwoo asked, closing his locker and sitting on the bench in front of it. 

 

Myungsoo sat next to the shorter brunette, taking a sip from his thermos. “He’s at home.” 

 

Mijoo glanced up from tying her shoes. “You got a nanny?”

 

“Kind of,” the young father said. “He’s an elementary education student. I needed someone to take care of Mookyul; he needed to find some sort of childcare placement job. Since we kept getting denied from daycares, the situation just  _ worked _ .” 

 

Dongwoo hummed. “Sounds good. How come I’ve never heard about this guy before? Was he someone your parents knew?”

 

Myungsoo glancced at his feet. “Not exactly--”

 

“Did you go to Seoul U’s department?” Mijoo asked. “How did you think of that?”

 

Myungsoo felt his neck heating up in embarrassment. “Well, that’s not exactly how it all went…”

 

Dongwoo laid his chin on his friend’s shoulder, glancing up with his large eyes. “Quit being all mysterious and just tell us what happened!” 

 

Exhaling loudly, Myungsoo sat back, glancing between his two fellow nurses. “OK, but don’t start judging me for it until I finish,” he said. At the nods of the other two, Myungsoo continued. “I met him at the park the other day. I had just got rejected from yet another daycare center and took Mookyul into a park to figure out my next move. But then Mookyul got really fussy and started crying, which was the absolute last thing I could take at that moment… I swear to God, I was about to have a panic attack myself, but as I was trying to get him to calm down, this guy walked by and asked if I needed any help. I just froze, but something about him just made me feel like he could help. He offered to rock Mookyul for me so I could calm down and I let him.” 

 

“Wait, wait, wait… you handed your infant son to a  _ stranger _ ?” Mijoo gasped. 

 

“There was just something about him, ok?!” Myungsoo responded defensively. “I could just tell that he had no bad intentions so I took a chance. He was amazing; he took Mookyul and just soothed him so fast. Faster than I think even you and some of the nurses could, Mijoo.”

 

“Yah!” Mijoo exclaimed. “It could have just been luck!” 

 

“Obviously not,” Dongwoo said. “If Myungsoo felt comfortable enough to hire him as a babysitter… although I don’t see how he went from random stranger in the park to this.” 

 

“We just started talking,” Myungsoo continued. “I told him about how I was struggling to get Mookyul into a daycare and how I felt like I was out of options. Then he told me about his situation; how he’s a student needing his field work, but couldn’t get any school or daycare to hire him either. I told him that I could give him the list that Soojung gave me, just so he had a few more options to try. Right at that moment when we were about to figure out another time to meet up, Mookyul spit up all over this guy’s shoulder.”

 

“Omo!” Mijoo voiced.

 

Dongwoo laughed. “So what did you do then?”

 

“Well, Sungyeol was content to just get on the train with it all over his shoulder,” Myungsoo replied. “But we were just a few blocks from my place, so I insisted on him letting me try to wash it off. I could give him that list too, and he eventually agreed. He was playing with Mookyul even more at home, and it just looked so natural… next thing I knew, I had asked him what he would do if I hired him for his fieldwork.”

 

“Just like that?” Dongwoo replied, shock evident in his face. 

 

“Pretty much,” the young father said. “I know, it’s a little unorthodox--”

 

“It sounds like the first episode of a freaking drama!” Mijoo said. “All you would need to tell us now is that he’s gorgeously handsome and we’d already have the love lines established!”

 

Myungsoo’s cheeks colored. “I-I mean, he’s not  _ bad _ looking. His eyes were one of the reasons I trusted him in the first place…” 

 

“Did they cause your heart to flutter at first-sight?” Mijoo asked teasingly, fluttering her long eyelashes with a grin.”Were they just so deep and  _ captivating _ ?”

 

“Shut up, Mijoo,” Myungsoo replied weakly, trying to hide his red cheeks. “He just seemed very kind-hearted--”

 

“And he must be handsome, of course,” Dongwoo chuckled, joining in the teasing of the younger man. “We know how Myungsoo likes ‘em tall.”

 

“He does?!” Mijoo exclaimed. “Omo, I’m just picturing this tall, beautiful white knight descending in to help rescue him from the perils of single fatherhood--”     

 

“You two suck as confidantes!” Myungsoo replied, swiftly getting up to leave the locker room, the two other nurses still giggling at their imaginations.

 

~*~

 

Myungsoo dragged his tired feet from the elevator in his apartment complex and made his way down the hallway to his front door. Keying in the code, the nurse made his way into the entryway of the apartment, toeing off his shoes and placing them in the cabinet. He could hear the network news playing softly in the living room, but didn’t see either his son or Sungyeol in the open space. Pulling off his coat, he hung it in the closet, still seeing Sungyeol’s own next to it. 

 

He heard water sloshing from the kitchen and made his way around the entryway corner. He could see Sungyeol over the partition of the aisle, leaning over the sink. Sungyeol’s tattooed arms were on full display in the simple dark t-shirt he wore as Myungsoo made his way over into the kitchen. “I’m back,” Myungsoo spoke up, making his presence known. 

 

Sungyeol glanced up as the other man made his way into the kitchen. “Look, Mookyul-ie! Dad’s home!” 

 

It was that moment that Myungsoo realized the taller man wasn’t washing dishes in the sink--instead, he had turned the sink into an impromptu bathtub, with Mookyul’s plastic tub fitting perfectly in the space. The infant laid along the curving back of the tub, propping him up and supporting the baby, a happy smile on his face. Once Mookyul noticed the new presence of his father, he smiled wider and let out a happy coo. “Hey little guy,” Myungsoo called, moving towards the infant. Sungyeol moved away from the counter, allowing Myungsoo to stand in his previous place and reach out towards his son. “Did you have fun today with Sungyeol? He’s letting you have bathtime in the kitchen?”

 

Myungsoo moved to splash some of the water along Mookyul’s tummy, the little one squealing happily. Sungyeol came up on the other side of Myungsoo, a bath towel in hand. “We had a nice day at home today. Played with all the toys we could, took a few naps, just finished dinner, and you came home just at the end of bath time,” the taller said, placing the towel on the counter. 

 

Myungsoo lifted Mookyul gently from the bathtub, letting some of the water drip from the baby’s supple skin. The father moved to set Mookyul down on the towel, propping the baby up with a hand to his back as Sungyeol started  to gently dry his body. Myungsoo watched the tanned, tattooed arms flex and extend as he moved to dry all parts of the infant. “There we go, Mookyul-ie! All nice and clean for bedtime!” the taller man cooed softly. 

 

Sungyeol then moved to hand Myungsoo a new diaper and the father quickly placed it around Mookyul, lifting the baby into his arms afterwards. Rubbing the baby’s back, Myungsoo glanced over at the tall babysitter, clearing some of the baby supplies from the countertop and beginning to tidy up the space. “Do you need me to help with anything?” Myungsoo asked. 

 

Sungyeol turned from the cabinet he had opened. “No way! You just got home; it’s only fair that you get to put him to bed. I got to spend enough time with him today,” the taller replied. 

 

“Right…” Myungsoo replied, glancing down at his son in his arms. “This is weird… I’m used to rushing around trying to get him to bed at a reasonable time right after a shift…” 

 

Sungyeol closed the cabinet after placing a few bottles inside and walked closer to the father and son duo. “And now, all you need to do is go rock him,” Sungyeol said, turning Myungsoo around and pushing the man towards the apartment’s hallway. “Go on; put him to bed! Have father-son snuggle time or whatever to put him to sleep! I’ll clean up out here.”

 

Myungsoo merely nodded weakly, feeling his body tense at the brief contact with the taller man. “O-Ok…” The father then moved down the hallway towards the nursery. He closed the door as he entered the room, finding the lamp already lighting the semi-darkened space. Myungsoo pulled a fleece onesie from the dresser and began help Mookyul put it on. After a few tussles and the baby trying to kick one leg off once Myungsoo had moved on to the other, Myungsoo finally lifted Mookyul back to his chest and moved to settle in the cushioned rocker in the room. 

 

Settling Mookyul’s head in the space between his neck and shoulder, Myungsoo softly began to sing one of the lullabies he had begged Mijoo to teach him from the nursery workers. The girl had teased Myungsoo mercilessly when he offered--when did Mijoo  _ not  _ tease him though?--but a few mornings of Starbucks lattes had gotten the nurse to agree to the task. And Myungsoo was incredibly thankful; Mookyul never failed to fall asleep to one of those songs easily. It only took two verses before Myungsoo noticed that the little baby was out. Gently, Myungsoo pulled himself from the chair and softly placed Mookyul in his crib. He then turned off the lamp and shut the door to the nursery as he made his way back into the front room of the apartment. 

 

The father could spot Sungyeol drying off the infant’s bathtub in the kitchen, already noticing the lack of bath supplies in the room--the taller must have already placed them back in the bathroom. Sungyeol glanced up as Myungsoo moved past the counter into the kitchen. “He’s already out?” the taller asked in surprise. 

 

Myungsoo hummed, moving to grab a cup from the cabinet and pouring himself some water from the pitcher in the refrigerator. “Yeah, I got one of the nursery workers at the hospital to teach me some lullabies when I first adopted him. They knock him right out.”

 

“Huh,” Sungyeol sighed. “You gotta teach me those then. It took me 20 minutes to get him down for his naps each time today.”

 

Myungsoo laughed to himself. “Sure, I can do that.” 

Sungyeol moved the tub down to the other side of the sink and glanced at the father. “Rough shift?”

 

Myungsoo sighed. “No more than usual actually; I guess this is just more of an average exhaustion level?” 

 

The taller glanced at the clock, then back at Myungsoo. “I was starting to wonder though,” the taller said. “That was, what, a 12-hour shift? I thought something happened…”

 

“This is actually pretty tame for most nurses,” Myungsoo replied. “Before Mookyul, I was working 28 to 36 hour shifts; we were short-staffed and being the first-year nurses, we would get the worst hours. Even once we bumped the staff up, a few of us still worked those hours--I did it mostly because I could; it wasn’t like I had to come home for anything in particular. Once I adopted Mookyul, I made a deal with the head nurse to keep me to 12-hour shifts and overnights only twice a month.”

 

Sungyeol nodded his head. “Makes sense. At least it’s not as bad as it used to be?”

 

“Nah, and I knew what I was getting into through nursing school,” Myungsoo replied. “It’s not that bad; besides, I love my job, so that’s all that matters.” 

 

“True,” Sungyeol said. “Ok, well I’ve pretty much cleaned up here. Oh! I made some grilled meat and vegetables for dinner. There should be enough for you to have tonight and some tomorrow.”

 

“For me?” Myungsoo echoed. Sungyeol nodded in answer. “You didn’t have to--”

 

“It’s the least I could do,” Sungyeol replied. “Yes, you pay me, but you’ve opened your home to me. I’m happy to help out around here. Oh! Speaking of that, I’m probably going to take Mookyul to campus with me to drop off my field work paperwork. I also noticed you’re running low on food. Leave me a list and some money and I can stock everything back up.”

 

“Sungyeol, really, you don’t have to--” 

 

“I insist,” the taller replied with a coy smirk. “Don’t resist this, Myungsoo; I’m going to be around here helping you, whether you like it or not.”

 

Myungsoo’s heart thumped at the word  _ resist _ \--some less than decent images filtered through his imagination, aided by Mijoo’s knight fantasy from that morning--and the young father swallowed thickly. “Ok, yeah, no problem. I’ll leave you my card.” 

 

“Perfect!” Sungyeol replied with a grin. The taller man moved into the living room, placing his snapback on his head and grabbing his jacket from the closet. “Ok, I need to get to the train station so I can get home at a semi-decent hour. I’ll see you in the morning, Myungsoo!”

 

Myungsoo could only quietly wave as the taller man made his way out the door. 

  
_ Freaking Mijoo. Freaking imagination. Freaking traitorous heart that couldn’t stop falling for this beautiful man. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think, friends! I know it's been awhile, but seeing your comments makes me feel like I'm not forgotten. :3


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